2018 valley view public school annual report€¦ · valley view public school annual report 2018...

Valley View Public SchoolAnnual Report

2018

4508

Printed on: 17 May, 2019 of 17 Valley View Public School 4508 (2018)

Introduction

The Annual Report for 2018 is provided to the community of Valley View Public School as an account of the school'soperations and achievements throughout the year.

It provides a detailed account of the progress the school has made to provide high quality educational opportunities forall students, as set out in the school plan. It outlines the findings from self–assessment that reflect the impact of keyschool strategies for improved learning and the benefit to all students from the expenditure of resources, including equityfunding.

Mary Hunt

Principal

School contact details

Valley View Public SchoolChamberlain RdWyoming, 2250www.valleyview-p.schools.nsw.edu.auvalleyview-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au4328 4433


School background

School vision statement

At Valley View, all students have fair access to high quality teaching and learning delivered through evidence–basedpractices and supported through responsive wellbeing programs and strong community partnerships.

School context

Valley View Public School was established in 1980 and is located in the Wyoming area. The current enrolment is 343students with 4.72% acknowledging their Aboriginality and 16.8% English as an Additional Language or Dialect(EAL/D).

Valley View Public School has a Multi–Categorical class and hosts an additional support class on behalf of Glenvale SSP. An OOSH (Out of School Hours) service is also on site. The school has a dynamic teaching team ranging from earlycareer teachers to more experienced staff, with school administration and learning support officers working as a team toprovide educational excellence.

In 2016, the school was selected to participate in the 'High Expectations for All' strategy as identified by the NSWPremier's Priorities. Valley View Public School implements a number of research–based Literacy and Numeracyprograms. The school implements 'Positive Behaviour for Learning' (PBL) and upholds the values of Respect,Responsibility and Personal Best.

Valley View Public School prides itself on the quality and variety of educational and extra–curricular experiencesavailable to students. Extra–curricular activities include: band, choir, recorder, dance groups, a range of sporting PSSAteams, public speaking, debating and the Premier's Reading Challenge.

Valley View Public School has strong alliances with the Valley Schools Learning Community and the Cooinda LocalAECG, valuing the consultative partnerships that exist. The P&C are committed to the school ensuring timely resourcingand support is provided to enhance the learning opportunities for all.

Self-assessment and school achievement

Self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework

This section of the Annual Report outlines the findings from self–assessment using the School Excellence Framework,school achievements and the next steps to be pursued.

This year, our school undertook self–assessment using the School Excellence Framework. The framework supportspublic schools throughout NSW in the pursuit of excellence by providing a clear description of high quality practiceacross the three domains of Learning, Teaching and Leading.

Learning

At Valley View Public School, students develop skills in literacy and numeracy, strong content knowledge and the abilityto adapt and be responsible citizens. Following the evaluation process, the school has determined that in the six domainsof learning, we are Sustaining and Growing in Learning Culture, Wellbeing, Curriculum, Assessment, Reporting andStudent Performance Measures. As a result of our focus on the key elements of quality practice there has been a movefrom Delivering in 2017 to Sustaining and Growing in 2018 in all domains.

Our teachers differentiate curriculum delivery and review its provision through ongoing assessments to meet thechanging requirements of their students, utilising evidence based teaching practices. The introduction of Big Write andVCOP (Vocabulary, Connectives, Openers, Punctuation) has formalised student assessment processes leading toindividual student goal setting and monitoring progress against syllabus outcomes. Partnerships with parents andstudents support clear improvement aims and planning for learning with student reports containing personalisedinformation about individual learning progress. The introduction of formalised Parent/Teacher Interviews at the end ofTerm 1, engendered closer communication and ongoing improvement in home school partnerships.

The school collects, analyses and uses data to monitor and refine a whole school approach to wellbeing andengagement, with programs, assessments and monitoring of individual student needs for improvement in learning. PBLis a vehicle to provide clear expectations and consistency across our school under the three focus areas of respect,responsibility and personal best. There is a demonstrated commitment within the school community that all studentsmake learning progress.


Teaching

Student learning at Valley View Public School is underpinned by high quality teaching. The teachers demonstrate a highlevel of commitment and professionalism and the school understands the importance of improving teaching practice andthe impact this has on student outcomes. Following the evaluation of key evidence, the school has determined that in thefour domains of Teaching, we are Sustaining and Growing in Effective Classroom Practice, Data Skills and Use,Professional Standards and Learning and Development.

There is a whole school approach to optimise learning, ensuring the most effective, evidence based teaching methodsare utilised to meet the needs of all students. A range of explicit teaching techniques and a school–wide, effectiveapproach for classroom management ensures optimum learning. Student assessment data is used to identify studentprogress, reflect on best practice and inform future directions. The collection of both formative and summative data byteachers, informs future directions for individual and whole school focus areas of improvement and monitoringachievement.

Professional learning with a literacy and numeracy focus is aligned to the Professional Standards for Teachers, to reflectand plan areas for development of staff and whole school improvement. As part of the Professional Partners initiative,teachers plan, observe and provide feedback to each other on identified focus areas related to the professionalstandards and School Plan. Mentoring and coaching through identifying expertise and targeted professionaldevelopment sustains a quality teaching culture.

Leading

Valley View Public School is a self–sustaining and self–improving community. A school–wide culture of high expectationsand strategic leadership supports the realisation of the school vision. Following the evaluation process, the school hasdetermined that in the four domains of leading, we are Delivering in School Resources and Sustaining and Growing inEducational Leadership, School Planning, Implementation and Reporting and Management Practices and Processes.

The School Plan aligns to student and system priorities with the leadership team engaged in ongoing planning,implementing, monitoring and assessing evidence based strategies to improve student progress and achievement.Capacity building and leadership opportunities through staff mentoring and peer collaboration, optimise studentoutcomes as identified in the School Plan.

Strategic financial management maximises availability of resources and learning spaces are used to meet a broad rangeof student learning needs and interests. Administrative systems, structures and processes are developed and evaluatedfor effectiveness. The leadership team has participated in ongoing professional learning on tools and resources used inthe planning and implementation of continuous school improvement. There is a high performance culture with a clearfocus on student progress and achievement and instructional leadership for improved school performance.

Our self–assessment process will assist the school to refine our school plan, leading to further improvements in thedelivery of education to our students.

For more information about the School Excellence Framework:

https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching–and–learning/school–excellence–and–accountability/sef–evidence–guide


Strategic Direction 1

Quality Teaching

Purpose

To provide high quality, evidenced–based instructional professional learning to ensure our teachers are creative,inspirational and inclusive practitioners with the capacity to respond to assessment and feedback and shape teachingaround the needs of every student.

School Excellence Framework Links • Learning: Curriculum, Assessment • Teaching: Effective Classroom Practice, Data skills and Use, Professional Standards, Learning and Development • Leading: Educational Leadership, School Resources, Management Practices and Processes

Overall summary of progress

In 2018, all teaching staff engaged in professional learning in the Big Write. Teaching programs and student worksamples demonstrated evidence of the implementation of VCOP strategies. Quality Teaching Successful School (QTSS)funds were utilised by providing executive staff additional time to mentor and provide additional support to colleagues.The capacity of executive staff has continued to be developed through their collaboration with a growth coach.

Progress towards achieving improvement measures

Improvement measures(to be achieved over 3 years)

Funds Expended(Resources)

Progress achieved this year

The % of students achievingexpected growth in Reading Yr.5– 59% to 69% and Yr.7 – 69% to79% and Numeracy Yr. 5 – 64%to 74% and Yr.7 – 58% to 68%with a value add, Yr.3 to Yr. 5 ofexcelling and Yr.5 to Yr.7 ofsustaining and growing.(NAPLAN and SCOUT baseline2017)

$12,000

QTSS

The percentage of Year 5 students achievingexpected growth in Reading in 2018 was 64.1%,an increase of 4.6% from 2017.

The percentage of Year 5 students achievingexpected growth in Numeracy in 2018 was 65.6%,an increase of 1% from 2017.

2018 value added Year 3– Year 5 was sustainingand growing and Years 5–7 was delivering.

In line with the state priority by2020, the % of Aboriginalstudents in the top 2 bands meetsor exceeds the broaderpopulation ( 2017 datastatistically insignificant)

$8,000

Aboriginal Background

Aboriginal student data is tracked and monitoredand all Aboriginal students have PersonalisedLearning Plans that identify individual Reading andNumeracy targets. There is not a significant numberof Aboriginal students in Year 3 and Year 5therefore reporting on percentages in the top 2bands is not appropriate.

By 2020, the school mean for"Drivers of Student Outcomes"TTFM student survey are equalor higher than the NSW Govt.Norm. 2017 Baseline dataEffective Learning Time – schoolmean 8.0, NSW Govt mean (8.2),Relevance – school mean 8.0(7.9), Rigour – school mean 8.2(8.2)

$2000

QTSS

Explicit teaching techniques and evidence basedteaching practices are implemented into classroomteaching and learning. TTFM survey results(Effective Learning Time) indicated the school hasnarrowed the gap by 50% compared to 2017 data.A continued focus on critical thinking, problemsolving and application to real life situations shouldsupport classroom instruction to be more relevant tostudents.


Next Steps

• Implement ongoing professional learning that incorporates coaching to refine teacher practice, so that reading istaught explicitly and learning differentiated to reflect individual student needs.

• Continue collaborative practices by teachers as part of the Professional Partners initiative in the numeracy area ofproblem solving.

• Develop a deeper understanding of the learning progressions so teachers can identify and monitor literacy andnumeracy learning and implement effective programs for students.



Quality Learning

Purpose

To improve student outcomes by developing confident and resilient students who monitor their own learning and reflecton and respond to feedback.

School Excellence Framework Links • Learning: Learning Culture, Wellbeing, Curriculum, Assessment • Teaching: Effective Classroom Practice, Data skills and Use, Professional Standards, Learning and Development • Leading: School Resources


In 2018, the Learning Support Team improved systems and processes, increasing the capacity for teachers to providequality learning for all students and individuals requiring additional support. Teachers worked with students to developlearning goals so that the students were engaged with meaningful and rewarding personalised learning experiences. Awhole school approach to PBL, has meant clear and consistent expectations for student learning and engagement underthe guiding principles of respect, responsibility and personal best. As a High Expectations for All initiative (Bump It Up),Valley View Public School has made ongoing improvements in student performance in the areas of literacy andnumeracy through ongoing data collections that drive teaching and learning.





By 2020 to increase thepercentage of students in the toptwo bands in Reading: Yr. 3from 50% to 60%, Yr.5 from 34%to 44%, Yr.7 from 19% to 38%with a target of 36% by 2019 in allyears – High Expectations for All(Baseline 2017 NAPLAN data)

$23,000

(Socio–economicbackground)

Year 3 NAPLAN– students continue to achievepleasing results in Reading. 52% of Year 3 studentswere placed in the top two bands in 2018, anincrease of 2% from 2017.

Year 5 NAPLAN–there was a slight decrease of2.4% in the percentage of Year 5 students whoachieved in the top 2 bands in Reading in 2018.

Year 7 NAPLAN–Data not available.

By 2020 to increase thepercentage of students in the toptwo bands in Numeracy: Yr. 3from 35% to 45%, Yr. 5 from 23%to 38%, Yr.7 from 14% to 38%with a target of 36% by 2019 in allyears – High Expectations for All(Baseline 2017 NAPLAN data)

$23,000

(Socio–economicbackground)

Year 3 NAPLAN–there was a slight decrease in thepercentage of Year 3 students placed in band 6 forNumeracy but an increased percentage (26%) wereplaced in band 5.

Year 5 NAPLAN–there was a slight decrease of1.8% in the percentage of Year 5 students placed inthe top two bands in 2018.

Year 7 NAPLAN– Data not available.

An increase from 85% to 90% ofstudents safely engaged inclassroom learning and outdoorplay.(Baseline 2017 SENTRALdata)

98% of students were engaged in safe play andacceptable classroom behaviour (2018 SENTRALdata)

2018 Tell Them From Me(TTFM) student dataindicated that students with positive behaviour atschool far exceeded NSW Govt Norms. The schoolwas 90% compared to the state 83%. The school iscontinually refining PBL systems and processes.


Next Steps

• Review and improve whole school learning support systems to enable students to achieve. • Continue to improve school processes for the support of students at key transition points. • Implement and improve processes for supporting Tier 2 students. • Collect data and track students using the learning progressions to measure individual, group and whole school

achievement.



Quality Connections

Purpose

To strengthen connections with parents and the wider community, so that the school is a cohesive and productive placeof learning with student achievement and wellbeing as the prime focus.

School Excellence Framework Links • Learning: Learning Culture, Curriculum, Reporting • Teaching: Learning and Development • Leading: Educational Leadership, School Performances, Management Practices and Processes


In 2018, the school introduced Parent/Teacher interviews at the end of Term 1. This provided an early opportunity todiscuss student strengths, areas of development and student learning goals; increase communication between teachersand parents/carers and provided a platform to facilitate home and school community partnerships. The schoolstrengthened its ties with the Valley Schools Learning Community with teachers participating in professional learning andfuture networking. This has led to a positive impact on teacher knowledge and skills. The Valley Schools LearningCommunity has also provided a number of student learning experiences. Some of our students had the opportunity toattend gifted and talented workshops as a learning community initiative. The school leaders developed and implementedan action project throughout the year and presented at the Valley Schools Leadership Forum Night. Aboriginal studentsfrom our school participated in a Cultural Day with students from other schools in the learning community. The PBLaction team attended network meetings on various occasions, which involved a number of workshops with other schoolsin the area. This professional learning was utilised to support further implementation of PBL. A focus was reviewing andimproving school systems, and training for teachers and learning support officers (SLSOs).





Greater than 90% of parentssurveyed indicate that they haveeffective two–way communicationbetween home and school.(Baseline data 2018)

$980 casual relief

Low Socio–Economic

91% of parents interviewed by phone survey(conducted over two days with a randomly selectedgroup of parents) believed they were adequatelyinformed about their child's achievements andlearning needs.

90% of school staff haveconnected with other schools,networks or learning communitiesto increase collaborative andcollegial partnerships.(Baselinedata 2018)

$15,220

Professional Learningfunds.

Staff have attended various network meetings overthe year such as Primary Executive LeadershipTeam (PELT), PBL Hub and other sharedprofessional learning. A combined SchoolDevelopment Day was held in Term 3.

Next Steps

• Develop connections with families through multiple two–way communication tools. • Implement a systemic effort to maximise participation and collaboration in parent teacher conversations. • Build the capacity of the school to recognise and support the needs of families. • Extend parent learning through a Student Leadership Project. • Maintain and strengthen current professional networks ie VSLC, PBL Hub and PELT to increase quality teaching

practices. • Seek further networks with nearby schools and organisations with knowledge and expertise in areas of school

improvement.


Key Initiatives Resources (annual) Impact achieved this year

Aboriginal background loading $13,480 RAM

Additional $2,500 Schooland Community funds

Staffing–Leader / Mentor

Cultural awarenesscelebrations.

PLP meetingsResources

Increased student engagement and theproportion of Aboriginal students in the toptwo bands of NAPLAN in reading andnumeracy, as per the Premier's targets.Strengthened links with the local AboriginalEducational Consultative Group (AECG),Coorinda. Identified student goals have beensupported extensively through in classsupport and guided conversations. Identifiedexecutive staff have responsibility formonitoring and tracking Aboriginal studentprogress.

English language proficiency $18,962

Staffing

Evidence of student progress using theEAL/D progression scales.

Staff engaged in professional learning toensure competency in supporting studentswith additional language needs in theclassroom.

Low level adjustment for disability $45,961– Flexible SupportFunding

$104,113 Learning andSupport Teacher (1.0)

The Learning and Support team (LST)provided effective interventions for studentsidentified with additional needs. SLSOs wereemployed to support at risk students inliteracy and numeracy. The Learning andSupport teacher (LaST) and SLSOs providedin–class support during literacy and numeracysessions. Valley View Public School has acomprehensive and integrated strategy inplace to assist students to access thecurriculum and be successful in their learning.The school has refined and embedded qualitypractices to the structured playgroundprogram. Trained SLSOs and the LaST haveworked with students at risk of beingdisengaged during playtimes. The success ofthis has led to a structured approach toaddressing the social and emotional wellbeingof students.

Quality Teaching, SuccessfulStudents (QTSS)

$64,550

Employment of coach/mentor for leadership team

Additional staffing torelease executive team andaspirant leaders to leadschool initiatives in literacyand numeracy.

The Leadership Team identified an increasein their capacity to lead change and managestaff as a result of coaching sessions. Classteachers reported feeling supported and haveembedded feedback and reflectiveconversations into their practice.

Peer teacher collaboration providedopportunities for professional dialogue andlearning in current educational research andpractice. This has enabled curriculumplanning to be aligned to new syllabusdocuments and differentiated andpersonalised teaching programs that addressstudent learning needs. Teachers useformative and summative assessment data toinform teaching practice.

Socio–economic background $92,201

Implementation of Big Writeprogram

Employment of an ICT

Big Write strategies were evident in classteaching and learning programs.

Staff and students reported an increasedcompetency in the use of technology.


Socio–economic background officer (SASS)

Employment of an expertcoach/ mentor in Reading–(Semester 2)

Additional staff to provideliteracy and numeracyintervention

The coach/mentor modelled exemplary skillsand led colleagues to review, modify andexpand their repertoire of teaching strategies.

Students identified at risk of disengagementare mentored by executive staff.


Student information

Student enrolment profile

Enrolments

Students 2015 2016 2017 2018

Boys 214 192 176 170

Girls 206 201 178 173

Student attendance profile

School

Year 2015 2016 2017 2018

K 95.1 96.4 96 95.9

1 94.3 93.6 95.1 95.2

2 94.5 94.1 92.8 95.9

3 94.9 94.9 93.4 93.2

4 93.5 94.2 92.9 93.8

5 95 92.9 92.5 93

6 93.2 94 91.5 93.3

All Years 94.3 94.3 93.4 94.4

State DoE

Year 2015 2016 2017 2018

K 94.4 94.4 94.4 93.8

1 93.8 93.9 93.8 93.4

2 94 94.1 94 93.5

3 94.1 94.2 94.1 93.6

4 94 93.9 93.9 93.4

5 94 93.9 93.8 93.2

6 93.5 93.4 93.3 92.5

All Years 94 94 93.9 93.4

Management of non-attendance

At Valley View Public School, our attendance policyfocused on the school working with parents and carersto ensure regular attendance was maintainedthroughout the year. Parents are informed of NSWstate government requirements though the newsletter.When children are absent from school, in accordancewith departmental policy, we request an explanation tobe provided to the class teacher stating the reason forthe absence.

A fully electronic reporting system for monitoringattendance is used. Rolls are marked daily andaccurate records are kept regarding student absences.Class rolls are regularly checked through the Learning

Support Team and Home School Liaison Officer.Absences are reported to parents/carers via studentreports in Term 2 and 4. Sign in and sign outprocedures apply for students arriving late to school orleaving early.

Workforce information

Workforce composition

Position FTE*

Principal(s) 1

Assistant Principal(s) 4

Classroom Teacher(s) 13.09

Teacher of Reading Recovery 0.84

Learning and Support Teacher(s) 1

Teacher Librarian 0.8

School Administration and SupportStaff

4.22

*Full Time Equivalent

The Australian Education Regulation, 2014 requiresschools to report on Aboriginal composition of theirworkforce. The percentage of staff members whoidentify as being as of Aboriginal descent is 6% of thetotal school workforce.

Teacher qualifications

All teaching staff meet the professional requirementsfor teaching in NSW public schools.

Teacher qualifications

Qualifications % of staff

Undergraduate degree or diploma 100

Postgraduate degree 5

Professional learning and teacher accreditation

Two teachers are in the process of gainingaccreditation at Proficient. Currently no teachers areseeking Highly Accomplished and Lead status.

Twenty one teachers are maintaining accreditation atProficient level. No teachers are currently accredited atHighly Accomplished and Lead.

On the Staff Development Day in Term 1, staff wereinvolved in mandatory training for Code of Conduct,CPR and face–to–face anaphylaxis. Staff also receivedprofessional learning in curriculum planning, emotionalcoaching and student wellbeing.


Term 2 School Development Day, focused on theexplicit teaching of writing. The staff were engaged inquality professional learning based on currenteducational research. This learning incorporated theembedding of quality teaching strategies to improvestudent learning outcomes in writing, with a particularfocus on vocabulary, connectives, sentence startersand punctuation known in the school as VCOP. This isan ongoing focus at our school.

Term 3 School Development Day looked at bestpractice in the teaching of reading and writing. Staffalso attended the combined Valley Schools LearningCommunity – Professional Learning afternoon.Educational expert, Steve Francis presented to all staffabout the importance of effective feedback to engagestudents in their learning and improve student learningoutcomes. Staff also attended educational workshopseg: technology – robotics, coding, creative and criticalthinking.

Members of our staff also had the wonderfulopportunity to work with Anita Chin who is a leadingexpert in Australian primary mathematics. The focus ofthis quality professional learning session was on usingthe language of mathematics during whole–classdifferentiated instruction to help solve multiplication anddivision word problems.

PBL has been an ongoing professional learning focusthroughout the year. Training and up–skilling teachershas facilitated the building of a positive learning andteaching environment for all.

Financial information

Financial summary

The information provided in the financial summaryincludes reporting from 1 January 2018 to 31December 2018.

2018 Actual ($)

Opening Balance 428,226

Revenue 3,377,264

Appropriation 3,235,483

Sale of Goods and Services 47,794

Grants and Contributions 90,249

Gain and Loss 0

Other Revenue 200

Investment Income 3,537

Expenses -3,188,344

Recurrent Expenses -3,188,344

Employee Related -2,923,440

Operating Expenses -264,903

Capital Expenses 0

Employee Related 0

Operating Expenses 0

SURPLUS / DEFICIT FOR THEYEAR

188,920

Balance Carried Forward 617,145

Careful financial management supports students andprograms throughout the year. Students and staff willbe supported with remaining funds through bothphysical and human resources to support programs asidentified in the 2018–2020 School Plan and the HighExpectations initiative.

Financial summary equity funding

The equity funding data is the main component of the'Appropriation' section of the financial summary above.


2018 Actual ($)

Base Total 2,401,164

Base Per Capita 69,617

Base Location 0

Other Base 2,331,547

Equity Total 274,716

Equity Aboriginal 13,480

Equity Socio economic 92,201

Equity Language 18,962

Equity Disability 150,074

Targeted Total 206,050

Other Total 293,087

Grand Total 3,175,017

Figures presented in this report may be subject torounding so may not reconcile exactly with the bottomline totals, which are calculated without any rounding.

A full copy of the school's financial statement is tabledat the annual general meetings of the parent and/orcommunity groups. Further details concerning thestatement can be obtained by contacting the school.

School performance

NAPLAN

In the National Assessment Program, the results acrossthe Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 literacy andnumeracy assessments are reported on a scale fromBand 1 to Band 10. The achievement scalerepresents increasing levels of skillsand understandings demonstrated in theseassessments.

From 2018 to 2020 NAPLAN is moving from a papertest to an online test. Individual schools are migrating tothe online test, with some schools attempting NAPLANon paper and others online.

Results for both online and paper formats are reportedon the same NAPLAN assessment scale. Anycomparison of NAPLAN results – such as comparisonsto previous NAPLAN results or to results for studentswho did the assessment in a different format – shouldtake into consideration the different test formats andare discouraged during these transition years.

Students in Year 3 are reported from Band 1 to Band 6in Reading. In 2018 52% achieved in the top 2 bands.This was a 2% increase from 2017 and close to a 13%increase since 2016. The Year 3 Reading resultexceeded similar school groups for the first time. Thepercentage of students in the lower bands continued todecrease.

Students in Year 5 are reported from Band 3 to Band 8in Reading. In 2018, 25.7% achieved in the top 2bands. This was a slight decrease from 2017. Therewere no students placed in the lowest band.


Students in Year 3 are reported from Band 1 to Band 6in Numeracy. In 2018 30% of students achieved in thetop 2 bands. The challenge for the future will be tomove the significant proportion of students from Band 4to the higher bands. No students were in Band 1therefore none were below the expected NationalMinimum Standard.

Students in Year 5 are reported from Band 3 to Band 8in Numeracy. In 2018, 22.2% of students achieved inthe top 2 bands. This was a slight decrease from the2017 results. No students were in Band 3, thereforenone were below the expected National MinimumStandard.

Premier's Priorities: Improving education results andState Priorities: Better services – Improving Aboriginaleducation outcomes for students in the top twoNAPLAN bands. The Aboriginal cohort at Valley ViewPS is not statistically significant enough to report on.

Parent/caregiver, student, teachersatisfaction

Each year schools are required to seek the opinions ofparents, students and teachers about the school.Interviews, focus groups and survey instruments wereused at Valley View Public School to collect relevantdata.

Telephone interviews were conducted with a randomlyselected group of parents. The process involvedidentifying families from the enrolment records andphoning them to conduct the survey. Parents ofchildren in Kindergarten and families that were notcontacted during the previous year's survey wereprioritised when making contact to gather a broadrange of responses. As a result of this process, 48successful interviews were conducted over two days.

School/community communication was a focus area ofthe parent consultation; including responses regardingparent/teacher interviews, the School App, Website,Facebook Page and social media such as Class Dojo.

The parent/teacher interviews were highly successfulwith 75% of those surveyed attending. Of those whoattended the parent/teacher interviews, 97% indicatedthat they gained valuable information from the meeting.Common responses included that the informationprovided was comprehensive, useful, an improvement


on previous years, that feedback from Best Start wasuseful and that the teachers were well prepared. 90%of respondents believed that they were adequatelyinformed about their child's achievements and learningneeds. Some additional comments related to the timingof interviews including the allocation of 15 minutesbeing adequate/inadequate, having the interviews eachsemester and some difficulties attending due to parentwork commitments; with alternatives suggested such asthe use of emails or later time slots.

Other forms of communication used by parents andcaregivers included 79% using the School App, 73%the school's Facebook Page, 51% the School Websiteand 35% using other social media such as Class Dojowith varying frequency. It was noted that the aboveforms of communication contained useful information.The school is currently reviewing the school websiteand continues to update this in the new year.

Additional comments from the parent/caregiver surveyrevealed numerous positives about the school. Manyfocused on the nice, small community feel, caringenvironment, outstanding teachers, extra curriculaactivities and happy children. Two areas mentioned forimprovement by individuals included the Anti–bullyingPolicy and Technology. The Anti–bullying Policy wasreviewed at the end of 2018 and will be placed on thewebsite. Technology is a focus area for 2019 with theimplementation of the new Science and Technologysyllabus.

To obtain feedback from students regarding schoolsatisfaction, the six school leaders in teams of 3,facilitated forums in classes with students from Years2–6. Nine classes were represented by a sample groupof six students from each class. The school leadersdeveloped the questions to be asked, led the forumsand recorded responses. To support the leaders inimplementing these forums, they practised by leadingtheir own forum to illicit school leader responses,recording skills, encouraging participation and clarifyingresponses. This meant 60 students were interviewed inthe process. Questions asked were around the themesof learning, resources and equipment, and activitiesand opportunities.

Students responded to what they liked about theirlearning and what they would like to happen to makelearning better. The students' favourite subjects weremaths and science. They liked the grouping and varietyof what they learnt, thought it interesting and fun andparticularly liked learning new things. It was especiallynoted a number of times that the teachers were helpful,approachable and that they take time for students,explaining what they needed to know or do.Suggestions for improving learning related todifferentiation, making it easier or more challenging.Generating more fun in learning through games andcreative opportunities were also proposed. Theopportunity for student voice and leadershipdevelopment in the facilitation of the forums was valuedby both students and staff.

The following findings were a result of feedback andsurveys from the teaching staff. Staff professionallearning is central to maximising quality teaching and

learning and the improvement of student outcomes.Teachers highly value the many opportunities providedwithin the school and the connections with the broaderlearning community to extend their knowledge andskills. A focus on building the capacity of staff andaligning staff professional learning to the strategicdirections and school plan is a highlight. Below is asummary of staff feedback on their learning.

Staff valued the school collegial model wherementoring and coaching are central to professionallearning. Teachers were matched to a colleague as partof the 'Professional Partners' program, implementing alesson study approach and working together to improvethe quality of teaching of literacy in their classrooms.This was seen as a valuable tool to facilitateprofessional dialogue and reflection, leading toimproved teacher practice. The support of staff throughteacher and leader mentors provided additionalcapacity building for pedagogy and leadership whichwas highly valued by many staff members.

Opportunities for teacher professional developmentwere increased through networking with other teachersand neighbouring schools. The Valley Schools LearningCommunity (VSLC), organised a professional learningevent on the Term 3, School Development Day.Feedback on this experience was very positive. Staffpraised the variety of the workshops and the ability tochoose presentations that matched interests andprofessional learning needs; with flexible learningspaces, robotics and trauma being particularly wellreceived. Increased access to resources and helpfulwebsites utilised by teachers, has led to ongoingimprovement in classroom practice. 98% of teacherssupported continuation of this event in future years.Members of the PBL action team found hub meetingsand visiting other schools in the area, supportive ofeffectiveness in implementation. These opportunitiesprovided an avenue for the sharing of ideas with otherschools and to use this knowledge to further evolvePBL at Valley View Public School.

Professional learning is directly linked to the qualityteaching of literacy and numeracy with many staffacknowledging this as the reason behind the school'simproved results. Ongoing teacher learning on theimplementation of 'Big Write', 'VCOP' and 'Focus onReading', has directly impacted on the quality ofteaching practices in the school. The professionallearning in mathematics presented by Anita Chin andthe usefulness of the resources provided was alsonoted by teachers.

Staff provided input into their future learning needs.Responses included further implementation oftechnology in learning and new syllabus requirementsand meeting their own individualised learning needs,such as procedures and support for gaining andmaintaining accreditation. These identified needs havebeen incorporated into 2019 school professionallearning and the performance and development plansfor teachers.


Policy requirements

Aboriginal education

Valley View Public School acknowledges and paysrespect to the traditional custodians of the land, ofElders past and present, and all Aboriginal people inthe community, at assemblies and special events.Students developed their knowledge about Aboriginalhistories, culture and current Aboriginal Australiathrough the inclusion of a variety of Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander perspectives in their learning andteaching programs in the areas of history, geography,science and sport. Kindergarten units of work includedPersonal and Family Histories and People Live inPlaces. Stage1 units incorporated Past in the Present,Local Places and Spaces, Goods and Services,Material World and Physical World. Stage 2 comprisedCommunity and Remembrance, First Contacts, TheEarth's Natural Environment and Aboriginal Games.Stage 3 included Australia as a Nation, A Diverse andConnected World and Desert Survivors.

The school celebrated NAIDOC week with celebrationscentred around the theme, 'Because of her we can'.Students were involved in experiences that highlightedthe impact that significant Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander women have and continue to have on people'slives.

Our Aboriginal students attended the Valley SchoolsAboriginal Cultural Day at North Gosford LearningCentre. The students participated in cultural learningexperiences relating to art, stories, dance and artefacts.

The Personalised Learning Program (PLP) process in2018 ensured that opportunities were provided forstudents, parents and teachers to engage meaningfullyaround student, parent and teacher aspirations,expectations and evidence of progress. PLPs werenegotiated between students and parents for eachAboriginal student. These provided critical referencepoints for planning of teaching and learning andmonitoring student achievement.

The school continues to strengthen our relationshipwith our Aboriginal families, the Cooinda LocalAboriginal Education Consultative Group (LAECG) andthe local community. Staff representatives took anactive role in attending AECG meetings and informationwas brought back to school and shared with staff.

Multicultural and anti-racism education

Multicultural education programs are incorporated intolearning through quality texts and literature units, and inHistory and Geography studies. Students participate inactivities to raise their awareness of the culturaldiversity within Australia including participating incelebrations such as Harmony Day.

Learning opportunities included researching variouscultural groups who have migrated to Australia, theirimportant contributions to our culture and thedevelopment of Australia as a nation. Inclusiveness,respect of cultural and religious diversity and a sense ofbelonging for everyone were themes explored instudent learning. On Harmony Day, students, staff andparents participated in an assembly where schoolleaders provided a presentation on the themes. Thechoir also performed as part of the celebrations.

Other school programs

Positive Behaviour for Learning

PBL is implemented at Valley View Public School toimprove the learning and wellbeing of all students atour school. This whole school approach creates apositive, safe and supportive school climate in whichstudents can learn and develop.

In 2018 teachers implemented lessons in theirclassrooms on behaviour expectations, providingconsistent positive feedback to students and deliveringconsistent, corrective feedback and consequenceswhen expectations are not followed.

School implementation of PBL included organisation ofsystems to establish the social culture, learning andteaching environment and to provide individualbehaviour supports for all students to achieve positiveacademic and social outcomes. The emphasis is onprevention and early intervention.

Our success has been demonstrated through increasedacademic instructional time for students, improvedsocial climate of the school, increased numbers ofstudents displaying positive behaviours, support forstudents, teachers and families which is matched totheir needs, systems that support an instructionalapproach and consistent delivery of effective programsand practices that are sustained over time.


2018 valley view public school annual report€¦ · valley view public school annual report 2018...

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